Description: Yellowish-white with a reddish-orange color pattern on the wings. The markings on the wings are somewhat thick in places, with a blocky aspect to many of the lines. The top of the head has two thick parallel submedial lines, often with a lateral branch; the midline is pale. The reddish-orange marks can also have some yellow coloration, as can the M-shaped mark on the pronotum. The scutellum has orange lateral triangles with a contrasting red border, and the tip of the scutellum is a bold reddish-orange spot. Adults are around 3.0 mm long.

Distribution in North Carolina

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.

Distribution: Found throughout North America

Abundance: Recorded recently from a couple counties in the Piedmont; probably more abundant in the right habitat.

Seasonal Occurrence

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Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been found in mixed hardwood forest.

Plant Associates: See respective species links below for a list of known host plants.

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This page serves as an umbrella for any individuals of Eratoneura that have a bold color pattern on the wings and body. Eratoneura can be a very challenging genus to identify, as most species are similarly colored and patterned. These species tend to have a dark orange to red M-shaped mark on the pronotum, bold submedial lines on the vertex, a scutellum with a dark apex and outlined lateral triangles, and wings with a thick color pattern. Below are the descriptions in the 3I database for the various Eratoneura in the eastern United States that have a bold color pattern. As you can see, both species are very similar to one another. NOTE: Records exist for some Eratoneura species in North Carolina, but these species are not easily identifiable and its unclear if these identifications are correct (sometimes they are not); therefore, these records have not been entered into the site.

Additionally, a couple other species included on this page are similar to some of the individuals listed above and, in some circumstances, could be included in the group here. These species are E. forfex and E. knullae, and their descriptions are listed below.